Sermon Tone Analysis

Boasting

I want to begin this morning with a definition of something you are always hearing, but have never maybe stopped to really think about or define.

I want to begin this morning with a definition of boasting.

What is it?

Boasting, is the “self congratulations, self exultation, the bragging that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us as if we had earned it.”

Let me say that again, “Boasting is the self congratulations, self exultation, the bragging that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us as if we had earned it.”

Or a more memorable way to think about boasting comes from the character Pigeon Toady in the animated movie Storks.

I have not seen this movie, but my kids quote Pigeon Toady to me all the time.

Pigeon Toady from all I can tell seems like a pretty geeky character, sort of a loser, but in one scene he imagines himself with a fine suit, a fine car, and he boastfully sings, “How do you like me now?” Boasting is when we look at our strength, our cultural heritage, our race, our power, our wisdom, our success and we say before God and others, “How do you like me now?”

And on a side note this kind of boasting knows no cultural barriers, both Toby Keith the Country Star and Kool Moe Dee the old school Hip Hop MC both have bragging songs called “how do you like me now.”

Of course, it’s not always that obvious.

Most people don’t want to come out and say what Hussain Bolt and Mohammed Ali have both said.

Most people don’t want to come right out and say, “I am the greatest.”

Most people find ways to lift themselves up, to congradulate themselves in more subtle ways.

One of the ways we see in our day, on social media has become known as the humble brag.

The little twitter, or facebook post that says something that sounds humble but is really boasting.

Like, “I just got gum on my shoe, who drops on a red carpet.”

Or, one Tim Challies suggested would be, “Man are my fingers tired from typing my memoir all day.”

All of this is of course back door bragging, another way of congradulating yourself, exulting yourself, priding yourself on something God has given you.”

Of course boasting is something we see in the Bible too.

We see the obvious kind like when King Nebuchanezzar looked out over the great city of Babylon and he said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

Sometimes it can be more like the #humblebrag like when the Pharisee when to pray in the temple, even to thank God in the temple and used it as opportunity to justify himself with boasting, “ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.”

It’s everywhere.

30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

But it’s in us to isn’t it.

Boasting is something that can plague Christians too.

We are not above name dropping names so people know how important we are.

We are not above telling people how many years of experience we have in this or that field so that they know how wise we are.

We are not above getting our identity from who we know, what we know, what we can do.

We are not above boasting about our race, our culture, our accomplishments.

No, in the NT we find Christians drifting back again and again into boasting in something other than the Cross.

The Corinthians boasted in who their favorite preachers were.

I am of Paul, I am Apollos, now we would have I am Piper, I am of Chandler, I am of Platt, and then someone would come with “I am not into celebrity preachers.”

We lift ourselves up by who we like or by who we don’t like.

Or again the Corinthians they lifted themselves up by treasuring their spiritual gifts above others.

I have this gift and I don’t need you.

Bragging has a terrible way of creeping back into the Christian life.

Boasting Barometer

Let me give you a questions that might take your pulse, and see if it beats with bragging and boasting.

Let’s start with a hard one.

How do you feel when you are compared to someone you consider sinful?

The other day I was confessing a sin to my wife and the discipline of the Lord, and she wasn’t trying to be mean, but she just said, “that’s just like so and so.”

I didn’t like that.

It took about 30 seconds of swallowing my pride before I could agree.

How do you feel when you are compared to someone you consider sinful?

If it bothers you it may be a sign that your soul still boasts in your own righteousness.

How do you feel when you are around someone poorer than you?

Do you tend to think they are not as hard of a worker as you?

Paul told Timothy there a haughtiness that can tempt wealthy Christians.

Rather than being blown away by God’s good gift of money and work ethic, they can despise those who don’t work as hard.

If we look down on the poor it is probably a sign that we inwardly boast in our work, our strength, our wisdom to earn and save.

Or how do you feel around someone wealthier than you?

Or someone getting more promotions than you?

Do you feel like a failure.

Do they threaten your ability to boast in yourself because they expose your lack of talent and hard work.

Do you stay away from people like that?

Do you stay somewhere your boast is more comfortable?

How do you feel when you are around people who are with someone smarter than you?

Are you quiet so you wont look like a fool.

Is your silence a way of guarding your inner boasting.

Or if you are a smarter one, do you speak to serve or to shame.

Do you use your smarts to exult me and to boast in yourself?

That’s just a few questions to maybe prepare us for the soul surgery the Holy Spirit wants to do on us this morning.

I hope it is enough for each of us to see that we are either immersed in boasting if we are an unbeliever, or battling it if we are a believer.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

(2016).

().

Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

(2016).

().

Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Boasting

Boasting is Everywhere

Boasting is Excluded

, Excluded

Excluded How - - Every aspect of the gospel Paul preaches can only be held onto by a humbled and even shamed hand.

A boastful mouth cannot sip these truths, it is already full of the praise of self.

Personally - Our

though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

(2016).

().

Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Boasting in Excluded by a Law of Faith

Boasting is Excluded by Justification by faith alone

Boasting being excluded will make you burst forth with real boasting!

When you grab ahold of the gospel it is not like boasting will be gone from your life, no actually it will not decrease it will increase.

And the Bible wants this, writes, “

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

(2016).

().

Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

We are to boast, but not in ourselves.

Instead of saying I am awesome person who has really served in so many ways and blah, blah, blah, we now boast and say I am not righteous, but thanks to Jesus I have righteousness.

I could not pay my price but he did.

It’s all about Him.

Beloved when we come to Worship every Sunday morning this is what we are doing we are training ourselves to boast not in ourselves.

After every failure, every promotion, every good week and every bad we gather here and we make ourselves sing songs like,

I will not boast in anything /No gifts, no power, no wisdom /But I will boast in Jesus Christ / His death and resurrection / Why should I gain from His reward?/I cannot give an answer /But this I know with all my heart / His wounds have paid my ransom.

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection